


The one where Q forgets to eat and James worries

by marvelous_imagination



Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: 00Q - Freeform, A bit of Q/James Bond fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, James Bond Takes Care of Q, M/M, Post-Skyfall, Protective James Bond, Q Branch, Q and James live together, Q forgets to eat, Q is bad at taking care of himself, Q's Name, Q's name's Ben, Workaholic Q, Worried James
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-30
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-09-13 10:36:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9119884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marvelous_imagination/pseuds/marvelous_imagination
Summary: Q works way too much, he focuses so much on his work that he forgets to eat and sleep. James worries and takes care of Q. Q thinks he's overprotective.





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not a native speaker...This is my very first fics written in English. I would like to warn you, before you read this that there might be plenty of mistakes as noone has controlled it yet. I apoligize for my English and hope that it won't frustrate you.

James has been waiting for Q at home for good two hours now. He’s sitting on the couch, watching the telly and checking the time once in a while. Q should have arrived earlier today, however a crisis appeared at Q-branch and the young genius had to stay there to save the situation.   
The double oh agent checks his phone again. This evening is not going according to his plans. They should have gotten free evening and gone out for a dinner together, but it seems like nothing of this is happening today. He takes the phone and texts Q a short message.   
‘Hey, you coming home today?’ There’s a quick beep in a moment announcing an answer.   
‘Sorry, but cannot. Don’t wait. I’ll be late.’ James sighs as he reads the text. They keep saying that he’s workaholic, but he’s never met bigger workaholic that Q. He has to smile as he thinks of Q. His Q. Before they met, he thought that serious relationships are not for him, that it easily isn’t in his nature. If someone told him in those times he’s going to live in established relationship let alone with a man, he would laugh in their face. And today he happens to sit on the sofa in their flat, waiting for his lover to come home from work. He smiles again and pets one of Q’s cats Turing.

His eyes start to hurt after one more hour spent watching a bloody stupid show that goes on every Friday. He’s becoming a bit tired, although his day hasn’t been very challenging. Just casual assignment in the city, nothing interesting. ‘No risk, no fun’ Q would add as in his mind James is kind of adrenaline-junkie. There might be something truthful on his opinion. James Bond loves to work in danger. Actually, one of the reasons why he applied for the job at MI6 was that he was bored. He was bored by the way his life was going, so when he had learnt about the possibility of working as spy for the British Intelligence Service, he didn’t hesitate for a minute. After the young James Bond got into the training program, he soon realised that this was exactly the way he wanted to spend his life. To risk his own life for something bigger, something more important. Not long time after the completion he became a proper agent. Thanks to no personal life he focused just on his work, that’s why it didn’t take long and the alias 007 was given to him. It’s an honour to join the 00- agent’s family, it meant that since that time he was someone.  
Although he originally wanted to wait for Q, James changes his mind as it’s starting to be harder to keep his eyes open. Picking up his phone he checks the inbox in hope to find out that Q is on his way home, however there aren’t any new texts. He gives up and walks to the bedroom. The bed looks so welcoming. Of course it would be better with his work addicted quartermaster, but it looks like he has no chance to fall asleep next to him. He drifts off soon after lying down and covering himself with blanket.

Q gets home, quickly takes off his shoes and lets his jacket fall on the floor while walking through the living room. It’s been one of the very stressful days, when nothing’s been going well. It all started, when he got to work. James drove him to Vauxhall, gave him a quick kiss before leaving for a smaller mission here in London. First unpleasant news were brought to him immediately after he entered the Q- branch. One of the minions (as James likes to call them) came to him with worried grimace on his face and informed him about complications that happened during the night shift. It looked like innocent mistake in the system, however the mistake caused a partial fail of the network. Q managed to fix it in less than hour, but it took him the rest of the day searching for the reason, why did it happened and making sure it wouldn’t happen again.   
He comes to the kitchen, trying to find something to eat. He’s exhausted. And hungry. And more exhausted. All he wishes, is to find something edible, eat it, so he would stop the annoying sound coming from his empty stomach and go to bed. As he opens the fridge, he thinks of taking a shower, but turns it down a moment after. He’s too tired to take a shower. There’s nothing he could quickly eat, so he shuts the fridge and goes through the cupboards. Finally, he finds some crackers. After he’s eaten the first few bites, Q realises how hungry he has been. 

James wakes up as he hears sounds coming from the living room. He reaches the other half of their king-seized bed. Q hasn’t come yet. There are quiet steps and then the sound of fridge opening. James picks up his phone from the nightstand. The sudden light dazzles him for a minute. He lets out a silent groan. It’s almost midnight and it seems like Q just got himself home. The agent often wonders how the brilliant quartermaster is able to focus so long. He slowly puts the blanket away. When his bare feet touch the cold floor, he shakes a bit. He stands up and makes his way to the door. Due to the darkness in the room he almost falls down as he stumbles over some left clothes.  
“Fuck” a quiet swear escapes from his mouth. He walks through the living room carefully, so he wouldn’t kick one of the cats as he learned that they like to rub against his legs in the most unexpected moments.   
James enters the kitchen. Q still hasn’t noticed his presence, so he keeps standing in the doorway, watching his younger partner illumined only by the streetlights coming inside through the window. It seems like Q hasn’t been eating the whole day, James thinks as he’s watching his beloved quartermaster eating some crackers in rush.   
The double oh agent remembers that Q skipped the breakfast by convincing him that he would order some food to work. It definitely wasn’t a good decision to believe him. He really does regret it right now. He has learnt during the years they’ve been living together that Q’s terrible at taking care of himself, especially when he’s busy, so the fact that he actually trusted him or maybe just didn’t want to oppose him was just foolish.  
“Almost thought you’re never going to come home again” Q drops the package of crackers he held and turns to James.  
“You just gave me a mild heart attack” Q whispers. The double oh agent smiles, makes the few steps to Q and reaches him for a warm embrace. When Q feels the warmth from the agent’s body, he relaxes a bit.  
“A late night snack?” James murmurs against the soft skin on Q’s neck.  
“Just a bit hungry” the older man frowns and tightens his lover a bit closer.  
“Really? Just a bit hungry? You think I’m blind?  
“Got me-“ Q puts aside his half eaten biscuit and turns to James.  
“- I’m starving” James gives Q a worried look.   
“Want me to cook something for you?”   
“No, it’s fine. I think I’ll be fine with going to bed” the younger man gives his lover a tired smile and kisses him.  
“Although I should recorded it, when the 007 agent known as the womanizer, wanted to cook for me in the middle of the night” Q grins.  
“Git” James answers, but smiles.  
There’s a moment of silence when James Bond, the secret agent with license to kill peacefully watches his younger partner eating few more crackers.  
“You really should eat more, you know Q-“James’s interrupted.  
“Oh, don’t start with this again, James. I’m too tired for this endless conversation”  
“In the morning you said, you’re going to order some breakfast”  
“Can you be sure that I didn’t?” Q frowns as he’s annoyed by James being always worried about his eating habits.  
“Only a suspicion, but I got it, right?” the exhausted quartermaster feels truly grumpy by now. He’s still stressed because of the complications at MI6. Q’s never been able to switch the modes from working to the relaxed domestic one.   
The trembling of the younger man’s hands is disappearing slowly as he feeds himself with small amount of much needed calories. The last thing he wants is to argue with James, however he can’t hold it and he just keeps running his mouth.   
“You know what? I’m not sure if you realise it, but I’m an adult and I can do what I want. And believe me that I would eat more, but I don’t have fucking stupid time for it. It may be surprising for you, but I’m quite busy person. You go on missions, where you kill few people, destroy the equipment I was constructing so long and then you return home expecting me to be all happy and ready for whatever you ask for-“   
“Ben, I just wanted to-“ Q doesn’t let James finish the sentence.  
“Oh, calling me with my real name is creating the right atmosphere, isn’t it? But I’m not going to play here stupid drama with you. I’m going to bed and I really don’t care what the always-cool James Bond thinks about it!” before James can say anything, Q walks to their bedroom and closes the door a bit louder than usually.


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Q works way too much, he focuses so much on his work that he forgets to eat and sleep. James worries and takes care of Q. Q thinks he's overprotective.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there's a second part of my story. I hope you'll enjoy and please excuse the mistakes. :)

Q quickly takes off his clothes and lies down. There are plenty of various thoughts stuck in his head. How can he manage so much paperwork waiting for him on his desk at Q-branch? What is he going to tell M, when he asks him about the network failure tomorrow? When will he get himself to talk to James about this incident? More and more questions appearing in his restless mind as he lies in bed and thinks instead of getting the necessary slumber. And what’s even worse, he doesn’t have answer for any of them.

This entire day has been one big disaster. Q hides his face and then runs hands through his hair. Watching the ceiling for a while, he realises that he should set the alarm for at least an hour earlier than usual, if he wants to manage all the things tomorrow. A quiet sign escapes from his mouth. He takes his alarm clock and sets new alert.

James wakes up with noisy alarm coming from their bedroom. Both of the cats are wide awake in a second. The two pairs of vigilant shining eyes stuck on his figure as he slowly stretches his arms and legs. It doesn’t take long and he can hear the sound of shower running. James feels guilty after the night argument they had. He is aware of the fact that Q has loads of duties, that he’s responsible for the whole Q-branch and that he works really hard. He knows that he’s not making it much easier, when he regularly destroys the equipment, when he’s not as responsible as he should be, when he gets into trouble with Mallory and Q always helps.

The sun has not risen yet, so it must be very early morning, James thinks as he stands up from the sofa he slept on the rest of the night and stretches one more time. The uncomfortable position he slept in has caused that his neck hurts a bit. He switches on the lights and feeds the cats, then he decides that he’ll feed Q as well. Or at least he’ll make him breakfast.

The bedroom door is opened by Q, who enters the living room. He checks the time and quickly heads for the kitchen before he could make thoughts about him and James and their stupid argument. 

“Morning” Q murmurs carefully. The smell of bacon, eggs and toasts makes his stomach turn with hunger pain. Obviously crackers were not enough for dinner. 

“Fancy a breakfast before you leave?” James looks at him and smiles gently. 

Suddenly Q would like to slap himself in the face for being such a dick yesterday. He regrets every word he said to James. How could he be angry with him, when James just cared? 

“Would be nice” Q answers and sits down to the table, where his portion’s already waiting. James joins soon after carrying two cups of tea with him.

“Thanks.” says the youngest quartermaster in the history of MI6 with mouth full of scrambled eggs. The view makes the double oh agent smile again. There’s a moment of silence, when James keeps watching his partner eating. Then he finally decides to say anything.

“I just wanted to…ehmm, you know, about last night. I didn’t mean it like that-” the otherwise self-confident secret agent speaks hesitantly. Q swallows.

“I know. I was being ridiculous. It wasn’t your fault; I behaved like a complete idiot” James reaches his hand and rubs thumb over Q’s wrist.

“I should apologize for the things I said yesterday, I guess. I really don’t think that risking your life on missions is something less serious”

“That’s alright Ben. You were stressed and tired” They both smile at each other.

“Besides I definitely fancy you calling me with my real name” Q giggles a bit and James reaches out for him to give him a slow kiss. However their kissing’s interrupted soon, when quartermaster’s phone starts ringing. Q looks at his partner with inquiring eyes.

“Common, take it. I know that you feel like you have to” James says resignedly.

During the call Q isn’t talking much. There are few ‘yes sir’ or ‘of course, I understand’, but most of the time is Q just listening. A thin crinkle appears on quartermaster’s forehead as he frowns and with polite goodbye ends the conversation.

“It was M, he wants to meet me at ten. And I should bring a report about the network malfunction that happened yesterday-“ Q stands up and moves to the hallway, where he packs his things in a hurry.

“Wait, you’re leaving already?” James asks in confusion.

“Sorry, but I really have to-“ Q looks at the double oh agent, who’s watching him from the doorway.

“I haven’t written a sentence of the report yet and… have you seen my phone?” Q speeds his movements and hectically seeks through his bag.

“Calm down a bit. You left it on the table” James hands him the phone, which is after laptop the second most important device Q owns. 

“Thank you” putting on one of his favourite cardigans Q looks at James.

“I’m sorry. I’ll try to come earlier today and I’ll make it up to you, I promise”

“Fine, but wait for a sec-“ James quickly heads to the kitchen, where he grabs two toasts and returns to his partner.

“Well, at least take those with you and eat them on your way” 

“I will” Q gives him a quick kiss and leaves.

“See you later”

When he stays alone in their quiet flat, James returns to the kitchen to finish the breakfast. The view of Q’s not even half-eaten meal makes him upset. Yesterday he ate few crackers and today starts with unfinished breakfast. That’s definitely not alright. He should make sure that his workaholic quartermaster’s going to eat more. Yes, that’s what he’s going to do. He’s going to order some take out and show at Q-branch around lunch-time not leaving before Q finishes his portion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments (even critical) are welcome.

**Author's Note:**

> If you would be so kind and leave a comment below about what you didn't (or maybe also did) like in this story, I would be very pleased. Feel free to write also critical comments.


End file.
